Whether selling B2B or B2C, the customer journey reigns supreme, and the methods used to engage with customers have become increasingly sophisticated. Customers take the quality of the goods as a given – they are more educated and know what they want – and often, they are spoilt for choice. The differentiator therefore may not be the product itself, but rather the ease with which they can communicate with a seller, and how quickly they receive the goods. It may even be their ethical reputation, their sustainability objectives, or their unrivalled returns policy.
How this journey is managed is therefore key to the success of a business. New technology across the warehouse and distribution network are going to be the way that the future expectations of customers are fulfilled.
THE ADAPTATION OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN
The supply chain of the future will need to be dynamic, operate in a more holistic structure and work innovatively to deliver products in an efficient and effective way. The incorporation of part automation integrated with physical pickers combined with flexible storage bins and pick bins would undoubtedly provide efficiency and accuracy.
Among the reasons to invest in automation for inventory management and order fulfilment is the ability to maximize storage space in a minimal footprint by utilizing the vertical, overhead space within a warehouse. With products delivered using automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) packers receive the items at a waist-height position, utilizing the goods-to-person principle, reducing travel and search time considerably leading to less downtime from pickers. Health problems associated with excessive bending or stretching are also minimized. Further, the transition to an automated system eliminates the need for wasted aisle space required for the navigation of forklifts and other material handling vehicles.
Typically, manual picking from warehouse shelving or storage bins and racks hits rates of 50 to 100 picks per person per hour, whereas pick rates in facilities incorporating ASRS solutions range up to 1,000 picks per person per hour. Automated picking also boosts pick accuracy significantly, eliminating mis picks enabling order cut off times to be extended, increasing the number of same-day shipments.
HOW PALLITE™ CAN HELP WITH FUTURE PROOFING
Combining automation with a flexible storage solution can help businesses optimize their storage space providing the flexibility to add units and or pick faces as necessary, and as an immediate response to inventory changes. PALLITE™’s PIX™ and PIX™ SLOTS storage bins can provide the perfect warehouse storage solution; strong, lightweight and flexible warehouse shelving systems designed to consolidate space and adjust to stock requirements.
Available with 4 to 400 pick faces in a single pallet space, the PALLITE™ team assess each customer’s storage and stock specifications to provide the most suitable PIX™ solution. Whether that involves a bespoke unit to facilitate existing racking or a planned installation of ASRS, their team of inhouse designers and engineers have the expertise to adjust and adapt this versatile unit to suit customer objectives.
Produced from honeycomb paper cardboard, PIX™ units can be constructed in minutes, no tools are required, one customer built 630 units in 2.5 hours, it’s that easy.
PALLITE™’s products are 100% recyclable.
Contact the PALLITE™ team today discuss your warehouse storage requirements.
